The Syracuse Media Group editorial board met Thursday with representatives of AARP, the group representing the interests of people age 50 and older.

Legislative director Bill Ferris (a Camillus native) and spokesman Erik Kriss support legislation that would create a consumer utility advocate in New York state to represent ratepayers before the state Public Service Commission.

The time is ripe, Kriss said, because consumers are angry about the sky-high utility bills they paid over the harsh winter and because it's an election year for both the governor and the Legislature.

The bill (A6239-B/S4450B) would create a Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate. Its leader would be appointed to a six-year term by the governor, subject to the approval of the Senate. The advocate could not be fired except for cause. Thus the advocate would be more insulated from political pressure than the current consumer utility advocate in the Department of State, who serves at the pleasure of the governor, Kriss said.

Ferris said the six investor-owned utilities in New York state spend an estimated $10 million in ratepayer money to lobby the state Public Service Commission, which regulates them. An energy industry group also is lobbying against this bill, Ferris said.

With all that firepower and the complexity of utility rate cases, consumers don't stand a chance, Ferris said.

The utility consumer advocate bill passed the Assembly earlier this week. Kriss and Ferris believe its chances in the state Senate are improved by the support of Sens. Jeff Klein, Diane Savino, David Carlucci and David Valesky, members of the breakaway Independent Democratic Coalition. The IDC shares leadership with Senate Republicans in the chamber. The bill currently is before the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse.

Correction
A previous version of this post incorrectly said the bill would appropriate $500,000 for the Office of the Utility Advocate. The bill does not appropriate any money. Funding would have to come in the budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year.